WWE RAW REPORT
MARCH 3, 2025
BUFFALO, N.Y. AT KEYBANK CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON NETFLIX (WORLDWIDE)
REPORT BY MAURICIO POMARES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
Attendance: WrestleTix reports that 13,888 tickets were distributed right before showtime. The arena has a capacity of 17,556 spectators. Over 2,000 tickets have moved for tonight’s show in the last 2 days (The last time in this venue on Apr. 26, 2024 they drew 13,110.)
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[HOUR ONE]
– The show opened with a video package recapping the events of Elimination Chamber.
– CM Punk made his way to the ring and stood atop the announce table. Punk yelled that he would address his enemies tonight. Punk called The Rock a fraud and pointed out that he faked caring about this industry. He moved on to John Cena and claimed that Cena stole his moment. Punk said that he wouldn’t sell his soul and that he would see him down the road. Punk called Seth Rollins out who immediately interrupted and got into a brawl with him on the entrance way. Referees and agents tried to separate them, but couldn’t maintain them apart. They took the brawl onto the announce table, until they were finally separated.
(Pomares’ Analysis: A really strong brawl segment to set up these two for a major rematch at WrestleMania. That was one of Punk’s best promos since his return and he already set up future stories against The Rock and John Cena for later in the year.)
[Commercial Break]
– A video package showcasing the reaction to John Cena siding with The Rock was shown.
– A recap of Seth Rollins and CM Punk’s brawl was shown.
– A recap of Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez winning the women’s tag team titles was shown.
– Backstage, the Judgment Day discussed the chance of Raquel Rodriguez challenging for the Women’s Intercontinental title. Finn Bálor pointed out that Liv Morgan lost in the Chamber while Dominik Mysterio and Carlito got embarrassed by Bron Breakker. Dominik said that Finn backed down from Breakker last week. Finn said that he would deal with Breakker himself tonight.
– Gunther made his way to the ring to put over how strong Otis was. Gunther said that Otis was just a freak that belonged in the same category as Jey Uso. He called Otis a people pleaser that didn’t belong in his sacred ring. Gunther mocked Otis for the way he looks before telling him that he could be great if he learned some self-respect. Gunther clobbered Otis with a big boot as the match started.
(1) GUNTHER vs. OTIS (w/Akira Tozawa & Maxxine Dupri)
Gunther stomped Otis down, only for Otis to corner him with a bunch of forearm strikes. Gunther put Otis in a headlock before sending him out of the ring with a big boot. Otis pulled Gunther out of the ring and laid him out with a Fallaway Slam, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Gunther put Otis in a crossface, until he was able to reach the ropes. Gunther blasted Otis with a big boot and put him in a sleeper hold, until Otis slammed him down. Otis withstood Gunther’s chops before they started exchanging chops. Otis hit Gunther with a corner splash and a bodyslam, followed by a back elbow. Gunther tried to run at Otis, but Otis shut him down with a bodyslam and The Caterpillar. Otis missed a Vader Bomb, allowing Gunther to hit him with a shotgun dropkick. Gunther attacked Otis with a series of clotheslines and a big boot, setting him up for a lariat and a nearfall. Gunther dropped Otis with a powerbomb to pick up the win.
WINNER: Gunther at 9:44
– After the match, Gunther put Otis in a sleeper hold and dropped Akira Tozawa on top of him with a powerbomb. Jey Uso ran down to make the save and knocked Gunther down with a Spear. A-Town Down Under attacked Jey from behind, only for Jey to take them out with a superkick and a Spear. Gunther trapped Jey in a sleeper hold and made him pass out.
(Pomares’ Analysis: Really fun match to remind you that Otis can actually wrestle quite well as a singles guy whenever WWE actually allows him to. The post-match angle was fine, but it wasn’t anything special. The inclusion of A-Town Down Under doesn’t really do much for this feud, as neither Theory nor Waller have been treated like threats of any kind on the main roster in a long while.)
– A video package recapping the story between Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky was shown.
[Commercial Break]
– A video package showcasing more reactions to John Cena siding with The Rock was shown.
– Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed AJ Styles about the ending of Elimination Chamber. AJ tried to say that he was surprised, but Karrion Kross interrupted to tease him about Logan Paul. AJ told Kross to leave him alone and said that he would call Logan out next week.
(2) LYRA VALKYRIA vs. IVY NILE – Women’s Intercontinental Championship
Lyra nailed Nile with a dropkick and attacked her with a bunch of knee strikes. Lyra hit Nile with a hip toss, but Nile responded with a clothesline. Nile pummeled Lyra with a bunch of forearm strikes. Lyra caught Nile with a Northern Lights suplex, followed by a dropkick through the ropes. Nile knocked Lyra off the top turnbuckle with a dragon screw before hitting her with another one, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Lyra took Nile down with a roll-up and a backslide, but she kicked out at two. Nile kicked Lyra’s knee and rammed her into the corner before blocking a high crossbody. Lyra dropped Nile with a gutwrench suplex, but her knee was too hurt to make the pinfall. Lyra attacked Nile with a series of kicks and an enzuigiri, until Nile countered a Tornado DDT with a vertical suplex. Nile kicked out of an inside cradle and kicked her away, only for Lyra to shut her down with a swinging neckbreaker.
Lyra hurt her knee while going for Nightwing, allowing Nile to hit her with an elbow to the back. Nile kicked Lyra’s leg and planted her with a sitout powerbomb for a two count. Nile trapped Lyra in an ankle lock, until she was able to grab the ropes. Lyra surprised Nile with a sunset flip before Nile floored her with a German suplex. Lyra avoided a big boot into the corner, allowing Lyra to hit her with a modified backbreaker and the Nightwing for the win.
WINNER: Lyra Valkyria at 9:32 (Still Women’s Intercontinental Champion)
(Pomares’ Analysis: A fun match where the crowd never seemed to buy Ivy Nile as an actual threat to the title. Lyra’s performances have been good, but she badly needs an actual feud to elevate this title. Hopefully, Bayley entering the title picture can help elevate the belt and Lyra.)
– Backstage, Jackie Redmond tried to interview Seth Rollins, only for Rollins to immediately go to brawl with CM Punk.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR TWO]
– A recap of Seth Rollins and CM Punk brawling backstage was shown.
– Backstage, Seth Rollins convinced Adam Pearce to book him against CM Punk in a Steel Cage match next week.
– Ludwig Kaiser stood in the middle of the ring to gloat about his victory last week. Kaiser said that he picked up the attention that Penta had over the past few weeks. Kaiser warned Penta about what he would do to him if they faced again. Penta interrupted to take Kaiser down with a hurracarrana and a thrust kick. Kaiser evaded the Penta Driver, only for Penta to shut him down with a thrust kick and a sling blade. Penta pulled Kaiser out of the ring and knocked him off the apron with a springboard clothesline, setting him up for a Tope con Hilo.
(Pomares’ Analysis: This was fine, but still feels like a placeholder feud to keep Penta occupied for the time being. Don’t know when it’s going to happen, but I get the feeling that WWE is preparing for the arrival of Penta’s brother Rey Fenix in the near future.)
– Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Bianca Belair about what happened at Elimination Chamber. Belair said that she didn’t want to speak about Jade Cargill and Naomi out of respect and would focus on the winner of the Women’s World title match.
[Commercial Break]
– A video package showcasing even more reactions to John Cena siding with The Rock was shown.
– A video package was shown, featuring Chad Gable walking through the streets of Mexico while looking for a person. Gable found a bearded guy and bought a box from him, but the video was cut before its contents were revealed.
(3) WAR RAIDERS (Ivar & Erik) vs. CREED BROTHERS (Julius Creed & Brutus Creed) – World Tag Team Championship
Julius tackled Erik and Brutus pummeled him down in the corner. Erik dropped Brutus with a bodyslam, followed by a series of clotheslines from Ivar. Ivar caught the Creeds with a double handspring back elbow, followed by a clothesline from Erik. Erik dropped Ivar on top of Brutus with a bodyslam. Julius knocked Ivar off the top turnbuckle with a dropkick and drove him into the steel steps, as WWE Raw went to a commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, The Creeds floored Ivar with a double vertical suplex, only for Ivar to crush Brutus with a seated senton. Erik got the hot tag and knocked Julius down with a series of clotheslines, followed by a Xploder. Erik clocked Julius with a dropkick and a knee strike to the face. The War Raiders planted Julius with a pop up powerslam, but he kicked out at two. Julius sent Ivar out of the ring with a knee strike and laid him out with a belly-to-belly suplex. Brutus crushed Erik with a 450 Splash for a close two count.
Ivar got the blind tag while Julius dropped Erik with a superplex. Brutus missed a moonsault, only for Ivar to miss a moonsault of his own. Julius crushed Ivar with a Shooting Star Press for a close nearfall. Ivar kicked Julius away, reaching Erik for the tag. Julius flattened Erik with a cartwheel Death Valley Driver. Brutus missed the Brutus Bomb and Erik sent Julius out of the ring. Ivar crushed Julius with a crossbody into the LED board on the apron before he and Erik finished Brutus with the War Machine.
WINNERS: War Raiders at 11:43 (Still World Tag Team Champions)
(Pomares’ Analysis: Some great action that for some reason didn’t fully connect with the crowd until the final few minutes. Similarly to Ivy Nile, the Creeds were just placeholders until the actual challengers on the Road to WrestleMania are revealed. I’m assuming it’s going to be the New Day.)
– A recap of Kevin Owens defeating Sami Zayn and Randy Orton returning at Elimination Chamber was shown.
– A video package was shown, featuring the LWO calling out the New Day. Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee challenged them to a Tornado tag match next week.
[Commercial Break]
– Finn Bálor stood in the middle of the ring and told Bron Breakker who was on the stands that he was still a champion because he allowed him. Breakker said that he embarrassed the Judgment Day last week. Finn said that Breakker was hiding in the crowd, only for Breakker to immediately make his way to the ring. Breakker threw Carlito over the barricade and planted Dominik Mysterio with a belly-to-belly suplex. Finn hit Breakker with a sling blade and a stomp to the chest. Breakker shut Finn down with a military press slam, but Dominik pulled Finn out of the ring before a Spear. Breakker nailed Carlito with a Spear and stood tall.
(Pomares’ Analysis: Not any real progression, but it’s cool to see Bron actually get to do something on TV. I’m still assuming that Bron is going into a multi-man match at WrestleMania because Finn Bálor at this stage doesn’t feel like any kind of threat.)
– A lengthy recap of John Cena turning on Cody Rhodes and siding with The Rock was shown.
– It was announced that Jey Uso would face Grayson Waller; the LWO would fight the New Day in a Tornado Tag Match; AJ Styles would call out Logan Paul; and Seth Rollins would battle CM Punk in a Steel Cage match.
– Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Jey Uso about what happened tonight. Jey said that he would walk through everything that Gunther puts him through and said that Gunther woke up a beast.
– Bianca Belair made her way to ringside to watch the main event.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR THREE]
(4) RHEA RIPLEY vs. IYO SKY – Women’s World Championship
Ripley dropped Sky with a waist lock takeover and a shoulder tackle, followed by a basement dropkick. Sky evaded a back suplex and got a two count with a roll-up. Ripley blocked a hurracarrana, only for Sky to take her down with a Victory Roll. Sky blasted Ripley with a roundhouse kick, but Ripley evaded a Tiger Feint kick. Ripley pulled Sky out of the ring and swung her body into the apron before dropping her with a vertical suplex, as WWE Raw went to its final commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Ripley hit Sky with a missile dropkick, only for Sky to retaliate with a backstabber. Sky swept Ripley off her feet and blasted Ripley with a dropkick, followed by a missile dropkick. Ripley evaded a running knee strike and laid Sky out with a series of clotheslines. Sky caught Ripley off-guard with a roll-through into a double stomp for a two count. Sky ducked a roundhouse kick, only for Ripley to counter her with a roll-through with a waist lock takeover. Ripley tried to go for a vertical suplex, but Sky blocked it and smashed her arm on the apron.
Ripley caught Sky off-guard with a big boot, but she kicked out at two. Sky nailed Ripley with a DDT and a running boot to the face, setting her up for an Insane Elbow and a nearfall. Sky put Ripley in a sleeper hold and drove her into the corner before crushing her with a double knee strike. Ripley tripped Sky atop the turnbuckle and planted her with an avalanche back suplex for a nearfall. Ripley put Sky in the Prison Lock, until Sky pulled her head-first into the ring post.
Sky planted Ripley into the barricade with a sunset flip powerbomb, followed by Over the Moonsault to the back, only for Ripley to put her foot on the ropes. Sky crashed into Ripley with a suicide dive into a crossbody. Ripley pulled Sky off the apron and dropped her face-first onto the apron and the announce table. Ripley got into Bianca Belair’s face and shoved her down before they started pushing each other. Sky countered an avalanche Riptide with a hurracarrana and hit her with Over the Moonsault for the victory.
WINNER: Iyo Sky at 18:39 (New Women’s World Champion)
(Pomares’ Analysis: A top-notch encounter with a genuinely shocking result. Sky and Ripley have amazing in-ring chemistry and this was yet another showcase of it. I wasn’t a huge fan of Ripley costing herself the match, but at least it lays the groundwork for a triple threat at WrestleMania. The only true negative I found was that the crowd just didn’t seem to be as into the action as one would hope for a huge title match with a massive title change.)
ADVERTISED MATCHES & SEGMENTS
- Rhea Ripley vs. Iyo Sky for the Women’s World Championship
- The War Raiders vs. The Creeds for the World Tag Team Titles
- Lyra Valkyria vs. Ivy Nile for the Intercontinental Championship
- C.M. Punk, Gunther, and Bron Breakker speak